Rates Of Assault Research Articles

Characteristics and trends of sexual assaults in Israel - A large cohort study of 3941 victims.

To improve care for victims of sexual assault, specialized assault centers have been developed globally, providing medical, psychological and legal care in one place. Our assault center serves a large population in the center of Israel. In 2010, we initiated a program aimed to prevent assaults among minors and to encourage early referral of victims to the center. The goal of the current study was to assess the impact of this program by comparing the characteristics of sexual assaults before and after the program's initiation. We conducted a historic cohort study of all victims of sexual assaults who were treated in our center between October 2000 and November 2017. A comparison was performed between victims treated before and after January 2010 (early vs. late study period), when the prevention program was initiated. The program mainly included lectures in middle and high schools, and workshops for police investigators. Overall, 3941 victims of sexual assault were treated in our center during the study period. Most victims were females (90.5%). Mean age was 23.0±11.0 years. Most victims were single (93.1%), and approximately half knew their perpetrator before the assault. Compared with the early study period, in the late study period we observed a decrease in the rate of minor victims (31.9% vs. 24.7%, respectively, P<.001) and an increase in the rate of victims who arrived to the center within 3days of the assault (P=.001). However, we observed higher rates of multiple-perpetrator assaults (16.7% vs. 21.9%, respectively, P<.001), alcohol use (29.2% vs. 40.1%, respectively, P<.001), and drug use (7.2% vs. 9.0%, respectively, P=.04). Moreover, in the late study period, fewer victims were willing to press charges (79.5% vs. 64.4%, respectively, P<.001). Our prevention program might have contributed to reducing the rate of sexual assaults among minors and shortened the time interval between the assault and victim's arrival to the center. Nonetheless, more efforts should be taken to reduce the involvement of alcohol and drugs in sexual assaults and to encourage victims to press charges.

Study examines assault rates involving student‐athletes

Student‐athletes have been disciplined for sexual misconduct and assault at a rate three times higher than the general student population since 2014, according to data collected by the USA Today network. Football players were disciplined for sexual misconduct and assault the most frequently of all student‐athletes.

Zero Staff Assaults in the Psychiatric Emergency Room: Impact of a Multifaceted Performance Improvement Project.

INTRODUCTION: Our psychiatric emergency room (ER) averages 18 patient-to-staff physical assaults annually, with some incidents resulting in multiple injuries. AIMS: The purpose of this performance improvement project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a multifaceted approach to reducing the number of physical assaults on staff. METHODS: We assessed the impact of these bundled interventions on staff assault rate: (1) increasing behavioral response team drills, (2) implementing shift doses, (3) screening for patients' risk for violence, (4) posting signage to communicate patients' violence propensity (Golden Hand), (5) implementing mitigating countermeasure interventions, (6) conducting postassault debriefing, and (7) providing postassault support. Psychiatric ER nurses completed questionnaires measuring their perceived self-efficacy in managing patients with a propensity for violence before, during, and after the bundled interventions. Physical assaults on staff were recorded and tracked monthly from May 2016 to September 2018 through a retrospective review of the hospital's online incident report system. RESULTS: Staff perceived self-efficacy increased from 78% to 95% after attending at least two behavioral response team drills. The Golden Hand signage was rated useful as it flagged and communicated the presence of high-risk patients. Shift dose was evaluated as an informative tool and manageable at ≤5 minutes. The violence-screening tool was considered more accurate in identifying patients with violent tendencies than standard assaultive precautions. Physical assaults on staff by patients decreased to zero in our psychiatric ER, which was sustained for a year. CONCLUSIONS: This innovative, multifaceted, bundled approach provides an opportunity for nurse leaders to promote workplace safety while improving staff engagement and empowerment.

Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Men's Attitudes and Understandings of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault.

Gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) men experience significant rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault (SA); however, there is limited research into their attitudes and understandings of IPV and SA. This article presents the findings of a 2018 survey of 895 GBQ men currently residing in Australia, focused on their views and experiences of healthy and unhealthy relationships. The survey included quantitative and open-ended qualitative questions. The findings presented in this article are primarily descriptive, with cross-tabulations and t tests to demonstrate significant differences between groups and correlational statistics to outline associations between variables. Qualitative data were coded under broad themes. The study found a considerable proportion of men (three in five) identified that they had experienced an unhealthy or abusive relationship in the past, with minimal disclosure to police or health services. Men with a history of partner abuse or violence were more likely to report binge drinking or drug use and more likely to know a friend who had abused his partner. 40% of the sample had witnessed an incident of relationship violence between GBQ men, and two-thirds intervened in the violence in some way. The findings of this study underscore the need to engage GBQ men in discussions about respectful relationships, address the role of alcohol and drugs in GBQ socialization and relationships, and provide bystander skills for men to intervene in situations of aggression or violence between men in relationships.

Study finds highest rates of campus sexual assault belong to student‐athletes

Since 2014, student‐athletes have been disciplined for sexual misconduct and assault at a rate three times higher than their peers in the general student population, according to data collected by the USA Today network. Football players were disciplined for sexual misconduct and assault the most frequently of all athletes.

Sexual risk classes among youth experiencing homelessness: Relation to childhood adversities, current mental symptoms, substance use, and HIV testing.

The aim of this study was to determine whether there are meaningful subgroups with different types of sexual risk behaviors among youth experiencing homelessness and examine the associations between potential classes and other risk variables. A latent class analysis was used to identify classes of youth according to sexual risk behaviors and sexual assault. A two-class solution was found to be the best fit for the data–Lower and Higher Risk groups. The Higher Risk class had significantly higher levels of synthetic marijuana and alcohol use, mental health diagnoses, and were more likely to have been tested for HIV than the Lower Risk group. Youth were more likely to be in the Higher Risk group if they were cisgender female or lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning (LGBQ). Nearly all youth (10/11) who reported having HIV infection were in the Higher Risk group. The Lower Risk group were sexually active but had lower rates of risk behaviors and sexual assault. Youth who were not sexually active had the lowest rates of marijuana and alcohol use as well as HIV testing. Health and social service providers should be aware of the added risks for stress, mental distress, mental health diagnoses, and substance use among youth who also report higher risk sexual behaviors and treat as needed.

Mookie and Me

Mookie and Me Sam Dunnington (bio) Click for larger view View full resolution Photo by Brian Rosner The bleachers at this little alternative college are full of kids who are not Mookie’s typical demographic: hair dye, no shoes, many piercings, [End Page 161] diverse, androgynous, every type of kid you can imagine, kids fluent in lifestyles that big parts of the country haven’t even learned to fear yet. Mookie was built for the ignorant and boorish, but this school paid for the presentation, so here we go. I place his marker card on the stage. I retreat behind the curtain, chew my nails, sweat. I press the initiate button on the remote. Mookie walks onto the stage wearing a winsome smile and a red polo shirt. He tells the audience he drank his first beer at fifteen and hasn’t stopped since. The beer I roll to him, he rips open and chugs. He says he used to think coffee could sober you up. Ha! I roll a bottle of iced coffee to him. What he doesn’t spill down his front, he gulps, and smacks his lips. Not even a little bit of laughter. We are dead meat. I roll Mookie his bottle of Popov. I hate watching this part. He gives the audience some facts about how a body metabolizes alcohol, and then, from the bottle of Popov, he pulls long and deep. The pull prompts vomiting sequence 1 of 3. He soils his shirt. “I get out of control,” says Mookie, “a danger to myself, a liability to others. Headed for a fall.” He staggers around. “What the fuck is this?” yells a kid in the front row. Fair enough. If you have even half a brain about this kind of stuff, Mookie is an insult. The brochure from Clean Living, Inc. describes him as “a means to jolt entire communities into better behavior.” Mookie is crass, but Mookie gets results, reductions in rates of alcohol poisoning and sexual assault, especially at the big state schools. Mookie is for the children. More kids shout at the stage. “A slice of pizza beforehand and one beer an hour!” Mookie yells back. The sweet, balding head of Student Life edges toward me in the backstage darkness. He looks like he needs about three weeks of sleep. He gestures at the seething crowd. “Is there a protocol for this sort of thing?” he says. A kid in a Mohawk and cut-off shorts, his little body taut with adolescent rage, begins to chant, “Storm the stage.” Other students pick it up. Mookie shouts back, “Can you point to your safety partner? Is your drink within sight?” “At this point,” I say, “we should probably just go.” “I think that’s a very good idea,” whimpers the head of Student Life. “Please leave as positive a review as you think appropriate,” I say. My pay is pegged to our reviews. Ninety-seven percent positive, and I meet my financial goals. I am holding steady at 98 percent, with two stops remaining on the tour. I mash the attention button on my remote. [End Page 162] Mookie spins toward me. “Mookie, we’re out,” I yell. We run toward the van, a booing mob of kids in tow. ________ We drive east on I-90. Mookie lies in his recharging cradle in the back of the van. “Don’t worry about it,” I say. “That crowd is probably pretty on top of the sort of thing you’re trying to educate them about.” Whether it’s possible or not for him to be discouraged, I worry about it. “One can only hope,” says Mookie. “How is your father?” “Haven’t talked to him in the last couple days.” “It’s been seven,” he says. I am not in the mood to be lectured on my filial failures. “Mookie, enter Power Save,” I say. We pull into Missoula, a town flanked by foothills and smothered beneath low clouds. We check in at a Motel 6. I detach Mookie’s neck port from the cradle, and he follows me to a room beige and clean. On the edge of the bed...

Maximizing #MeToo: Intersectionality and the Movement

Although women of color experience high rates of harassment and assault, the #MeToo movement has largely left them on the margins in terms of (1) the online conversation, (2) the traditional social movement activity occurring offline, and (3) the consequential legal activity. This Article analyzes how race shapes experiences of harassment and how seemingly positive legal strides continue to fail women of color thirty years beyond Kimberle Crenshaw’s initial framing of intersectionality theory. I discuss the weaknesses of the reform efforts and argue for more tailored strategies that take into account the ineffectiveness of our current Title VII framework and, more specifically, the continuing failure of the law to properly deal with intersectionality. This analysis and the resulting proposal demonstrate how advocates can leverage #MeToo as an opportunity to reshape law, organizations, and culture in a way that better protects all women, and particularly women of color.

Is the recent increase in national homicide abnormal? Testing the application of fan charts in monitoring national homicide trends over time

PurposeThe goal of this study is to compare the increase in the 2015 national homicide rate to the historical data series and other violent crime rate changes. MethodsWe use ARIMA models and a one-step ahead forecasting technique to predict national homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault rates in the United States. Annual Uniform Crime Report data published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation are used in our analysis. ResultsThe 2015 homicide rate increased above the 90% prediction interval for our model, but not more conservative intervals. Predictions intervals for other national level crime rates consistently produced correct coverage using our forecasting approach. ConclusionsOur findings provide weak evidence that the national homicide rate spiked in 2015, though data for 2016–2018 do not show a continued anomalous increase in the U.S. homicide rate.

Gaps in Sexual Assault Health Care Among Homeless Young Adults

Young adults experiencing homelessness are at increased risk for sexual assault. Receiving a post-sexual assault examination has important implications for HIV and unintended pregnancy prevention; yet, utilization is not well understood. In a population at elevated risk for HIV, unintended pregnancy, and sexual violence, identifying barriers and facilitators to post-sexual assault examination is imperative. As part of a large, multisite study to assess youth experiencing homelessness across 7 cities in the U.S, a cross-sectional survey was conducted between June 2016 and July 2017. Data were analyzed in 2019 to determine the prevalence and correlates of sexual violence and examine the correlates of post-sexual assault examination utilization. Respondents (n=1,405), aged 18-26 years, were mainly youth of color (38% black, 17% Latinx) and identified as cisgender male (59%) and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer (29%). HIV risks were high: 23% of participants had engaged in trade sex, 32% had experienced sexual assault as a minor, and 39% had experienced sexual exploitation. Young adults reported high rates of sexual assault (22%) and forced sex (24%). Yet, only 29% of participants who were forced to have sex received a post-sexual assault examination. Latinx young adults were more likely than other races/ethnicities to receive post-assault care. Participants frequently said they did not get a post-sexual assault exam because they did not want to involve the legal system and did not think it was important. Interventions are needed to increase use of preventive care after experiencing sexual assault among young adults experiencing homelessness.

The results of a randomized controlled trial of police body-worn video in Australia

ObjectivesWe report the results of a randomized controlled trial of police body-worn video (BWV) cameras in an Australian context, with a focus on how cameras influence evidence gathering, court processes/outcomes, and police/public behavior.MethodsThe 6-month trial undertaken by the Western Australia Police Force involved a sample of officers (N = 498) acting as their own controls with camera use (“treatment”) randomly allocated across shifts. A range of parametric and non-parametric tests were conducted to explore the influence of BWV on interview efficiency, rate/timing of guilty pleas, conviction rates, sanction rates, police use-of-force, assaults against police, and citizen complaints against police.ResultsThe trial generated mixed results in support of this technology within this Australian context. BWV recordings did result in evidence-gathering benefits by producing cost/time efficiencies when taking field interviews. BWV footage had limited impact on court processes/outcomes, with indication that camera evidence encouraged earlier guilty pleas but no corresponding increase in the rate of guilty pleas or convictions. BWV did influence police operational decision-making, with increased sanction rates and use-of-force on treatment days. The extent to which officers engaged with the trial compounded these patterns. There was no evidence that BWV prevents problem behavior, with citizens’ complaints increasing on treatment days and no influence of BWV on rates of assaults against police.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the need for additional context-specific clarity about why police use BWV cameras. In particular, BWV users should clearly specify the causal mechanisms through which cameras will achieve administrative, evidentiary, operational, and/or problem-prevention goals.

Toward Affirming Care: An Initial Evaluation of a Sexual Violence Treatment Network's Capacity for Addressing the Needs of Trans Sexual Assault Survivors.

There is a global call to action to improve transgender (trans) health to achieve health equity for people of all gender identities. Trans persons experience high rates of sexual assault and have historically had limited or no access to health care that meets their needs. As an initial step in addressing this, we evaluated a sexual assault treatment network’s capacity for addressing the needs of trans sexual assault survivors. Working with an Advisory Group comprising trans community members and their allies who have expertise in trans health, a short online questionnaire was developed and distributed to the program leaders of Ontario’s 35 hospital-based Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Centres (SA/DVTCs). A total of 27 program leaders completed the questionnaire for a response rate of 77%. The majority of respondents reported that their program collaborates with trans-positive services within their community (70.4%). However, only two in five (40.7%) program leaders indicated that the patient bill of rights at their hospital included a statement pledging nondiscrimination on the basis of gender, gender identity, and/or gender expression. All (100%) program leaders felt that the nurses and physicians working within their programs would benefit from (further) training in the care of trans persons who have been sexually assaulted. This study represents an important step in a research program aimed at enhancing Ontario SA/DVTCs’ response to trans persons.

Reporting Sexual Assault: Can Knowledge of How to Protect Forensic Evidence Influence Intentions to Report?

Responding to the high prevalence, low reporting, and poor conviction rates of adult sexual assault, Australian criminal jurisdictions have introduced protocols that allowed collection of medical forensic evidence from victims without police notification, since 1999. To assess the influence of reforms on potential victim behavior, this study measured lay knowledge of measures to protect forensic evidence of sexual assault, and predictors of intention to report adult sexual assault through the lens of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). An online survey was conducted with a sample of University of Canberra students and community members (N = 204). Results indicated moderate lay knowledge of how to protect evidence of sexual assault; however, only 46.1% of the sample were aware that evidence could be collected without police notification. The TPB successfully explained 55.6% of variance in intention to report future sexual assault. Participants who had experienced previous adult sexual assault victimization were significantly less likely to intend to report future sexual assault than those who had not. Knowledge of forensic evidence of sexual assault was not related to intention to report by self-efficacy as predicted; instead, it was mediated via subjective norms. Results indicated the potential value education to improve lay awareness of how to protect and report medical forensic evidence and to foster social norms that value reporting, particularly among school and university students.

LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ASSAULT AMONG OLDER PEOPLE WITH HIV

Research finds high rates of childhood sexual assault (CSA) among people with HIV (PWH). CSA is related to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and poor health. PWH age 50 and older account for the majority of this population in the U.S., but we have little information on the impact of CSA on these older adults. Data were obtained from the San Francisco arm of the Research on Older Adults with HIV 2.0 study (n=197). Fifty percent reported CSA. Cisgender women and transgender people were more likely to report CSA compared to other groups. PWH reporting CSA were more likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD (42% vs. 27%), and had higher mean PHQ-9 depression scores (9.3 vs. 6.8). Those reporting CSA had significantly more comorbid health conditions compared to their peers. Implications for using a trauma-informed care model with older adults living with HIV will be discussed.

Sexual Assault, Campus Resource Use, and Psychological Distress in Undergraduate Women.

Undergraduate women are at high risk of experiencing sexual assault during their college years. Research has established a strong link between sexual victimization and psychological distress. Although the relationship between sexual victimization and distress has been established, little is known about how the use of university-affiliated sexual assault resources influences mental health outcomes for survivors. The aims of this cross-sectional study were to describe the characteristics of women who used campus survivor resources following a sexual assault during college, examine correlates of campus resource use, and examine correlates and predictors of mental health of women who have been sexually assaulted during college. An online anonymous survey was sent to undergraduate women at two public universities in a mid-Atlantic state. Participants were female, undergraduate students (N = 362) who had been sexually assaulted during their time at college. Few women (n = 98, 27.1%) used campus resources following a sexual assault. We found significant relationships between participants' use of campus survivor resources and experiencing a sexual assault prior to entering college, experiencing more severe sexual assaults, acknowledging the assault as a rape, feeling more self-blame, and experiencing more psychological distress. Campus resource use was significantly associated with poorer mental health outcomes. The cross-sectional nature of this study limited our ability to explore the reason for this. Further research is needed to explore the role campus resources play in supporting survivors during the recovery process. Given the high rate of sexual assaults on college campuses and the known negative psychological impact of sexual assault, it is imperative that campuses offer resources that are effective in meeting the needs of survivors.

Supporting Transmasculine Survivors of Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence: Reflections from Peer Support Facilitation

Data show that trans individuals experience disproportionately high rates of sexual assault compared to their cisgender peers, yet very few survivor support spaces are accessible to trans men. Using autoethnography to reflect on the experiences of serving as a peer facilitator of a grassroots peer support group for transmasculine and non‐binary survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence in the United States, this article illuminates issues frequently iterated by trans survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence within peer support group settings. From these experiences, common themes are highlighted that reveal new insights and considerations for those who work with transmasculine survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence.

Firearm assault in Philadelphia, 2005–2014: a comparison of police and trauma registry data

BackgroundFirearm injury is a major public health burden in the USA. Absent a single, reliable data source, researchers have attempted to describe firearm injury epidemiology using trauma registry data. To...

Differences in Lesbian, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Women's Experiences of Sexual Assault and Rape in a National U.S. Sample.

Lesbian and bisexual women experience significantly higher rates of sexual assault and rape compared with heterosexual women. Despite this, researchers have yet to distinguish whether sexual orientation itself or some other related social characteristics explain these higher rates. The objective of this study was to analyze women's rates of sexual assault and rape across sexual orientation status while accounting for other social characteristics (e.g., race, education, income, outness). Women (N = 1,366), who identified as lesbian (31%), bisexual (32%), and heterosexual (31%), completed a nationally distributed, cross-sectional online survey in 2016. Victimization and repeat victimization were assessed using a modified version of Sexual Experience Survey-Short Form Victimization. Overall, 63% of bisexual, 49% of lesbian, and 35% of heterosexual women reported experiencing rape in their lifetime. When holding all other social characteristics constant, sexual orientation remained a significant predictor in the model. Compared with the odds of heterosexual women experiencing sexual assault or rape, bisexual women (3.7 odds of victimization; 7.3 odds of repeat victimization) and lesbian women (3.2 odds of repeat victimization) were disproportionately victimized. Sexual orientation clearly plays a role in sexual victimization risk, independent of other measured sociodemographic indicators. Continued research is needed to explore possible mechanisms behind sexual assault and rape prevalence, as well as the influence of contextual factors of victimization risk among sexual minority men.

A big night out getting bigger: Alcohol consumption, arrests and crowd numbers, before and after legislative change.

BackgroundRestrictive practices on alcohol sales in entertainment districts have been introduced to reduce alcohol-related violence in youth. On 1st July 2016, the Queensland State Government (Australia) imposed a 2-hour reduction in trading hours for alcohol sales in venues within specific night-time entertainment districts (NEDS; from 5am to 3am), a reduction in maximum trading hours for venues outside NEDs (with a maximum 2am closing time), the banning of ‘rapid intoxication drinks’ (e.g. shots) after 12am, and no new approvals for trading hours beyond 10pm for the sale of takeaway alcohol. No independent study has evaluated general levels of intoxication, crowd numbers, fear of violence, and illicit substance use as people enter and exit NEDS, both before and after the introduction of restrictive legislation. Further, no study has assessed the impact using matched times of the year in a controlled study and also assessed actual assault rates as recorded by the police.MethodWe conducted 3 studies–randomly breath-testing patrons for alcohol, as they entered and exited NEDs. Study 1 assessed patrons’ (n = 807) breath approximated blood alcohol concentration (BrAC) and predictions of how the legislation would change their drinking habits before the legislation was enacted. Study 2 assessed crime statistics and patrons’ BrAC levels and drug taking reports on an equivalent night, one year apart–before (n = 497) and after (n = 406) the new legislation. Study 3 was a test of the generalisation of Study 2 with two months of survey and BrAC data collected as people entered and exited the NEDs over two consecutive years before (n = 652 and n = 155) and one year after (n = 460) the new legislation. In Study 3 we also collected crime statistics and data on people leaving the entertainment district one year before (n = 502) and one year after (n = 514) the legislative change.FindingsPeople predicted that the legislation would lead to them drinking more alcohol before they entered town or make little change to their drinking habits. Baseline data over the 2 years before the legislation (Study 3) demonstrated stable preloading rates and BrAC at entry to the NEDs. However, after the introduction of the legislation patrons entered the NEDs systematically later and increased their alcohol preloading. People were substantially more inebriated as they entered the NEDs after the legislative change, with approximately 50% fewer people not preloading after the new laws. Exit BrAC was less consistent but showed some evidence of an increase. Crime statistics and patrons’ self-reported experiences of violence did not change.InterpretationLegislation that does not specifically adapt to the cultural shift of preloading and take local conditions into account will be unsuccessful in reducing alcohol consumption. Such legislation is unlikely to meaningfully change assault rates in youth.

Child homicides by stepfathers: A replication and reassessment of the British evidence.

Daly and Wilson (1994, 2008) reported that rates of fatal assaults of young children by stepfathers are over 100 times those by genetic fathers, and they explain the difference in evolutionary terms. Their study was replicated by comparing updated homicide data and population data from 3 surveys. This indicated that the risk to young stepchildren was approximately 16 times that to genetic children, and stepfathers were twice as likely to kill by beating. However, when we controlled for father's age, the risk from cohabiting stepfathers was approximately 6 times greater. Above the age of 4 years, stepchildren were at no greater risk than genetic children. Children are at risk from fathers primarily when both are young and they do not live together; stepfathers' apparent overrepresentation results largely from their relative youth and from many nonresidential perpetrators being labeled stepfathers. Other factors are also influential, but if these include stepparenthood, its impact is considerably less than previous researchers have claimed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).